If you notice a spelling mistake in a scanned document, you can't do anything about it, without some kind of specialized tool. OCR applications are the best solution when you need to edit text on scanned documents. SmartOCR will meet your expectations when it comes to recognizing characters accurately. The software is capable of recognizing text from image files or directly from scanners. The generated text can be saved in MS Word or other formats.

SmartOCR is free to try, without any serious limitations. It is compatible with all popular Windows versions and it can be installed in no time. Also, the setup wizard can add OCR options to Windows Explorer's context menu and it can integrate SmartOCR into MS Word. The software doesn't require too many resources and you don't have to install any prerequisite tools.

Using SmartOCR is quite easy, due to the clean and efficient layout of the user interface. It consists of two panels, which display the original and processed material. You can either load images, in almost any format, from your local folders or scanned documents, if a scanner is connected to your computer. Loaded images and scanned documents are displayed as thumbnails, on the left side of the interface, which makes it easy to switch between a document's pages.

Once you load or scan your source material, the program will perform an initial scan, to detect text, pictures or tables. SmartOCR will target the entire text by default, but you can aim it at specific paragraphs, by resizing a rectangle around them or adding new ones. Also, if your document contains pictures or tables, you can use different tools to mark them, to prevent the program from treating them as text. When everything is ready, you only need to click a large button, on the source panel, to start the recognition process.

The recognized text is displayed on the second panel, where it can be edited. The zooming and scrolling tools affect both panels, so you can easily make a side-by-side comparison. This is where you will notice various built-in features. Although the program's recognition capabilities are quite accurate to begin with, SmartOCR comes with its own dictionary to make the process even more precise. Also, the dictionary can help you spot spelling mistakes. The best part is that SmartOCR can recognize text even from low-res images. If you are satisfied with the extracted text, you can hit a Save As button and choose an output format. The software can save your text in MS Word or Excel format, PDF, Plain Text or Rich Text format or in HTML format.

As previously mentioned, SmartOCR can be integrated into MS Word and it can also add new options to the Windows Explorer context menu. Additionally, the program can perform batch recognition operations and it allows you to set up automated tasks. Another useful feature is the possibility of defining watch folders. This gives you the possibility of converting scanned documents just by placing them in a folder.

Pros: The software can accurately recognize text on scanned documents. The text can be saved in various formats, including Word and PDF. You can also start batch operations, set up automated actions and create watch folders.

Cons: A watermark will be placed on the output text, while using the trial version.

SmartOCR certainly earns its name, due to its advanced features and pin-point accuracy.